Hawaiian folk music includes several varieties of chanting ( mele) and music meant for highly-ritualized dance ( hula). The Orchestra has collaborated with other local institutions, like the Hawaii Opera Theatre and the O'ahu Choral Society's Honolulu Symphony Chorus, which operates the Hawai`i International Choral Festival. The Honolulu Symphony Orchestra is an important part of the state's musical history, and is the oldest orchestra in the United States west of the Rocky Mountains, founded in 1900. Hawai`i is home to a number of renowned music institutions in several fields. The historic Lanai Theatre is a cultural landmark on Lanai, dating back to the 1930s. Blaisdell Centre is the largest venue in Honolulu and among the largest in the state. The largest venue and cultural exhibition centre on Kauai is the Kauai Community College Performing Arts Centre. Large music venues in Hawaii include the University Theatre, which has 600 seats and is the largest venue on the Big Island. Hawai`i is home to numerous hotels, most of which feature music in the afternoon or evening some of the more prominent ones include the Kahala Hilton, the Sheraton Moana Hotel, Casanova's and the King Kamehameha Hotel. There is also a Hawaii International Jazz Festival, which was founded in 1993, and holds festivals on O'ahu, Hawaii, Maui and Kauai. April's Aloha Week is a popular tourist attraction, as is the Moloka'i Music Festival held around Labor Day. Major music festivals in Hawai`i include the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival, which brings together hula groups from across the world, as well as a number of slack-key and steel guitar festivals: Big Island Slack Key Guitar Festival, Steel Guitar Association Festival and the Gabby Pahinui/Atta Isaacs Slack Key Festival. Hawaiian music has had an enormous impact on the music of other Polynesian islands indeed, music author Peter Manuel called the influence of Hawaiian music a "unifying factor in the development of modern Pacific musics". Their music is largely religious in nature, and includes chanting and dance music. The Hawaiian people have inhabited the islands for centuries and have retained much of their traditional musical knowledge.
Traditional Hawaiian folk music is a major part of the state's musical heritage. Hawaii also made a major contribution to country music with the introduction of the steel guitar.
Styles like slack-key guitar are well-known worldwide, while Hawaiian-tinged music is a frequent part of Hollywood soundtracks. Hawaii's musical contributions to the music of the United States are out of proportion to the state's small size. The music of Hawai`i includes an array of traditional and popular styles, ranging from native Hawaiian folk music to modern rock and hip hop. Hawaiian folk music - Music of Honolulu - Polynesian music Blaisdell Centreīig Island Slack Key Guitar Festival - Gabby Pahinui/Atta Isaacs Slack Key Festival - Hamakua Music Festival - Hawaii Performing Arts Festival - Merrie Monarch Festival Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts - Hawaii Music Awards - Hawaiian Music Foundation - Ukulele Guild of Hawaii Honolulu Symphony Orchestra - Maui Academy of Performing Arts - Honolulu Chamber Music Society Related subjects: Musical genres, styles, eras and events Music of the United StatesĪK - AL - AR - AS - AZ - CA - CO - CT - DC - DE - FL - GA - GU - HI - IA - ID - IL - IN - KS - KY - LA - MA - MD - ME - MI - MN - MO - MP - MS - MT - NC - ND - NE - NH - NM - NV - NJ - NY - OH - OK - OR - PA - PR - RI - SC - SD - TN - TX - UT - VA - VI - VT - WA - WI - WV - WY However, he wasn't really alive to enjoy much of his mainstream success.2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. While the song was recorded in 1988, per NPR, it really gained notice in later years as television shows, movies, and advertisements started to use it, making Kamakawiwoʻole a legend. While his entire discography is worth digging into for new fans, he is best known for his cover of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow," originally sung by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz. In addition to making music with the group, Kamakawiwoʻole also recorded several solo albums. The iconic Hawaiian group went on to make 15 albums together. After he completed his studies, the singer moved to Makaha where he formed the group Makaha Sons of Ni'ihau with his brother and some friends. According to the U.K.'s The Mirror, Kamakawiwoʻole was "raised in the community of Kaimuki." At just 11 years old, he started playing music, going on to study at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. The "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" singer was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, but became world-renowned for his beautiful voice and ukulele skills. Although he passed away in 1997, Israel Kamakawiwoʻole lives on through his music.